Please do more to help cyclists in Eastbourne

From: Michael G RickardSt Johns Road, Eastbourne
Eastbourne seafront rally for family friendly cycle path (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-191006-145148001Eastbourne seafront rally for family friendly cycle path (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-191006-145148001
Eastbourne seafront rally for family friendly cycle path (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-191006-145148001

As East Sussex County Council have not yet been able to make a decision on the difficult question of a seafront cycle path up to Fisherman’s Green, may I set out what I consider the salient points needed to be taken into account:

1. It has become clear that the idea of a path on the north (hotels) side has little support.

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2. It has been generally accepted that a cycle path between the Wish Tower and Fishermans Green is desirable to complete the route all the way from Holywell to Sovereign Harbour, particularly bearing in mind:

a. The fact that is the most congested and dangerous stretch of the seafront.

b. Eastbourne is said to be the only seaside resort on the south coast where at present it is impossible to cycle legally from one end of the town’s seafront to the other.

It is also generally agreed that it its desirable that a way for the project to go ahead should be found:

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a. Because the government, with the strong support of the Prime Minister, feels that cycling and pedestrian facilities should be improved.

b. For our Improved collective good health. I have recently read that nearly two thirds of the adult population is overweight.

c. So as to reduce the risks to cyclists of serious accidents, and this is particularly so if we are to encourage more children to cycle to and from school.

d. To help reduce pollution (the levels of which are very high in central Eastbourne).

e. So as to improve the appearance of the seafront.

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Visitors to seaside towns do not come to see lines of parked cars, witness pictures of the spacious seafront taken during the lockdown when there was a total absence of cars.

The main objection of course comes from the Eastbourne hoteliers, with whom I have every sympathy in the present tourism crisis, but there are a couple of points which were made on their behalf on Sussex Radio on August 17 during a discussion with Bespoke Cycling Group which were simply misleading.

Firstly it was said that the government’s policy is to encourage people to use their cars more, as if this were generally desirable, but of course it only referred to the present time when people are reluctant to use public transport, and secondly it was suggested that if there were no parking facilities on the seafront visitors would have to go one or two miles away to find a car park, which is simply not true.

I do not believe the hoteliers would be losers, particularly as the guests coming by coach, who must be a large part of their clientele, would still be set down and collected at front doors. Perhaps the provision of bikes for hire and regularly placed cycle racks would encourage visitors to arrive by means other than car.

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We must accept that the hotels are not the only stakeholders in seafront facilities, we are ALL stakeholders in our environment, and the general good of ALL must be considered as of over-riding interest, so the construction of adequate cycling facilities between the pier and Fisherman’s Green is of over-riding importance.

I understand that a similar scheme was approved three or four years ago (with funding available) but as I did not live in Eastbourne then I cannot say why it was not proceeded with, but it seems a great shame all the same.

I urge East Sussex Council, and Eastbourne Council, please, not to miss this second opportunity to improve the cycling infrastructure of our town, for the benefit of citizens and visitors alike.